5 Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Tomorrow: STB, PDM, EXXI, MGA, GLW

Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link.

Tomorrow, Aug. 28, 2013, 70 U.S. common stocks are scheduled to go ex-dividend. The dividend yields on these stocks range from 0.1% to 13.8%. All of these stocks can be found on our stocks going ex-dividend section of our dividend calendar.

Owners of Student Transportation (NASDAQ: STB) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 4 cents per share. At a price of $6.40 as of 9:36 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 8.3%.

The average volume for Student Transportation has been 145,200 shares per day over the past 30 days. Student Transportation has a market cap of $521.5 million and is part of the diversified services industry. Shares are up 4.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

Student Transportation Inc. provides school bus transportation and management services to public and private schools in North America. The company has a P/E ratio of 64.10.

TheStreet Ratings rates Student Transportation as a sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself, feeble growth in its earnings per share, unimpressive growth in net income, poor profit margins and weak operating cash flow. You can view the full Student Transportation Ratings Report now.

Owners of Piedmont Office Realty (NYSE: PDM) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 20 cents per share. At a price of $17.32 as of 9:36 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 4.6%.

The average volume for Piedmont Office Realty has been 989,300 shares per day over the past 30 days. Piedmont Office Realty has a market cap of $2.9 billion and is part of the real estate industry. Shares are down 3.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. engages in the acquisition and ownership of commercial real estate properties in the United States. Its property portfolio primarily consists of office and industrial buildings, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. The company has a P/E ratio of 43.85.

TheStreet Ratings rates Piedmont Office Realty as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, reasonable valuation levels, good cash flow from operations, increase in net income and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity. You can view the full Piedmont Office Realty Ratings Report now.

Owners of Energy XXI (NASDAQ: EXXI) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 12 cents per share. At a price of $26.60 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 1.8%.

The average volume for Energy XXI has been 1.1 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Energy XXI has a market cap of $2.0 billion and is part of the energy industry. Shares are down 17.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

Energy XXI (Bermuda) Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of oil and natural gas properties onshore in Louisiana and Texas, and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.31.

TheStreet Ratings rates Energy XXI as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its attractive valuation levels and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including feeble growth in the company's earnings per share, disappointing return on equity and weak operating cash flow. You can view the full Energy XXI Ratings Report now.

Owners of Magna International (NYSE: MGA) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 32 cents per share. At a price of $79.56 as of 9:35 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 1.6%.

The average volume for Magna International has been 636,300 shares per day over the past 30 days. Magna International has a market cap of $18.5 billion and is part of the wholesale industry. Shares are up 61.7% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

Magna International Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and engineers automotive systems and components to original equipment manufacturers primarily in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company has a P/E ratio of 13.69.

TheStreet Ratings rates Magna International as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and attractive valuation levels. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins. You can view the full Magna International Ratings Report now.

Owners of Corning (NYSE: GLW) shares as of market close today will be eligible for a dividend of 10 cents per share. At a price of $14.55 as of 9:36 a.m. ET, the dividend yield is 2.7%.

The average volume for Corning has been 10.6 million shares per day over the past 30 days. Corning has a market cap of $21.6 billion and is part of the electronics industry. Shares are up 17% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

Corning Incorporated produces and sells specialty glasses, ceramics, and related materials worldwide. It operates through five segments: Display Technologies, Telecommunications, Environmental Technologies, Specialty Materials, and Life Sciences. The company has a P/E ratio of 11.45.

TheStreet Ratings rates Corning as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, attractive valuation levels, expanding profit margins and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity. You can view the full Corning Ratings Report now.

One benefit of owning a stock is the potential that you will be paid a dividend. The distribution of dividend payments is another way for a company to share its profit with you. A dividend means that the company pays you a certain amount of money, either as a one-time payment or more commonly on a quarterly basis, for each share of stock you own.

Many times, dividends come at the expense of greater price appreciation, because the company is distributing its profits to shareholders rather than reinvesting the profits back into the growth of the company. However, companies that pay dividends can be very attractive to investors when they offer a steady stream of income. There are some important terms and dates an investor should be familiar with before purchasing any dividend-paying companies. Let's work through an example to help better explain some of these terms:

On March 1, ABC Widget Company has decided that because it holds excess cash and lacks investment opportunities, it would like to reward shareholders with a regular quarterly dividend payment. The date for this particular announcement is known as the declaration date. It is on this date that the company announces the specific dividend payment along with the holder of record date (aka record date) and the payment date. The company announces that a dividend payment of 25 cents per share will be payable March 31, 2012 (the payment date) to all shareholders of record at the close of business on March 16, 2012 (holder of record date). What does this all mean? Well the short story is that the company looks at its records on March 16 and anyone listed on the books as an owner of ABC Widget company will be eligible for the dividend payment (on March 31).

The one other important term to remember is the ex-dividend date. The ex-dividend date (typically two trading days before the holder of record date for U.S. securities) is the day in which a company begins trading without the dividend. In order to have a claim on a dividend, shares must be purchased no later than the last business day before the ex-dividend date. A company trading ex-dividend will have the upcoming dividend subtracted from the share price at the start of the trading day. Many times, the price of a stock will increase in anticipation of the upcoming dividend as the ex-dividend date approaches, yet will fall back by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date.